UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP13)

1-17 December 2016. Cancun, Mexico. UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP13). Governments from 167 countries have given unprecedented recognition to the need to protect biodiversity across the agricultural sectors as a key action to achieve sustainable development, including ensuring food security and addressing climate change.

At the Cancun meeting, governments welcomed relevant policy frameworks, guidance, and tools developed by FAO and invited countries to use guidance from FAO related to biodiversity and the agricultural sectors.

A series of meetings were held in parallel with the UN Biodiversity Conference, including: 

1. the 3rd Science for Biodiversity Forum; 
2. the 2016 Business and Biodiversity Forum; 
3. the Summit ‘Muuchtanbal’ on Indigenous Experiences: Traditional Knowledge and Biological and Cultural Diversity; 
4. a workshop on the ABS Clearing-House; 
5. the 5th Global Biodiversity Summit of Cities and Subnational Governments; the Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) Fair; 
6. the Rio Conventions Pavilion; and a series of exhibitions and side-events.

1 and 2 December 2016. 3rd SCIENCE FOR BIODIVERSITY FORUM Mainstreaming Biodiversity for well-being: Contributions form Science.  

2-3 December 2016. CBD COP 13 Business and Biodiversity Forum. Mainstreaming Biodiversity: Opportunities for Business.

Interactive panel discussions are planned on the following topics:

• Financing;
• Natural Capital Accounting;
• Supply Chains and Sustainable Production and Consumption;see video
  Taking into account that the impact of human activities on ecosystems is largely generated by unsustainable production and consumption patterns. This session addressed the role of the supply chain in biodiversity conservation, as well as of the role of big corporations in fostering change through their supply chain.
  Speakers:
  Mr. Cuauhtémoc Ochoa, Undersecretary for Environmental Promotion and Regulation, SEMARNAT
  Ms. Elisa Tonda, Head of the Responsible Industry and Value Chain Unit, UNEP
  Mr. Yusuke Saraya, President, Saraya Co. Ltd
  Mr. Hans Jöhr, Corporate Head of Agriculture, Nestlé
  Mr. Fabio Luiz Peres Miguel, Procurement Director, Boticario Group
  Mr. Vijay Vardhan Vasireddy, Operation Manger, Social Investment, ITC Limited
  Mr. Pedro Álvarez Icaza, General Coordinator for Biological Corridors and Resources, CONABIO
• Climate, Biodiversity and Business; 
• Access and Benefits Sharing;
• Partnerships and other Innovative Approaches for Biodiversity Conservation

Delegates at the roundtable on agriculture

Parallel panel breakout sector based sessions Session on Agriculture 

• The negative impact of current agricultural practices on ecosystems and biodiversity has increased dramatically, while the biological and genetic diversity of these ecosystems still need to be taken into account to ensure sustained and sustainable food systems. 
• During this session, business opportunities and challenges of sustainable agriculture were discussed.
  Speakers:
  Mr. Jason Clay, Vice President, WWF
  Mr. John Cain Carter, President of the Board of Directors, Aliança da Terra
  Mr. Yoshinori Hashibe, Manager, Agricultural Department, Aleph Inc.
  Mr. Howard Shapiro, Global Staff Officer, Plant Science and External Research, Mars, Inc.
  Professor Kathy Willis Director of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew
  Mr. Salman Hussain, Coordinator for Agriculture, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), United Nations Environment Programme

IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports and a summary and analysis report from the UN Biodiversity Conference. The summary and analysis report is available in HTML and PDF.